Rail fastening



RAIL FA'STEHING Fleg oct. 1, 1923 Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

. l D S T A T E S PATENT oFFiCi-L GEORGE W. WHITEMAN, OF PHIILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL FASTENING.

Appiican'on sied october 1, 1923. serial No. 665,744.

My invention relates to rail fa-stenings and.

comprises certain improvements in removable clips designed more particularly for use in connection with metallic ties for securing rails thereto, said clips being angularly adj ustable with respect to the tiesy so that lateral adjustment of the rails with respect to such ties, when wear upon such rails requires such adjustment, can be readily e-ffooted. 1

The usual practice heretofore has been to secure railroad rails to metallic ties by means of bolts passing through the tie, such bolts having a portion engaging the flange of the rail, or holding rail-flange-engaging ele-- ments in place. As may be readily understood, such bolts are subject to very severe shearing strain and one object of my invention is to provide` an improved (.foixstruction whereby l am enabled to increase the resis tance to shear strains to which these rail sccuring bolts are subjected.

My improved :tie is of channel shape throughout, preferably with the central portion of the top web removed and the side web outwardly flared adjacent to the portion over which the rails lie. Thej top web of the tie is a-pertured for the reception of' bolts or other rail securing elements at each end of the tie.

rlhe apertures formed in the top web of the tic are rectangular in contour and may be square or oblong and the bolts which pass through the saine are provided with simi-k larly shaped shank portions, rectangular or square as the case may be, substantially fitting said apertures; such bolts occupying a fixed position with respect to the tie,` and being held against turning.

These bolts constitute an abutment for the rail-engaging clips mounted upon the same, which clips have an elongated aperture for the passage of lthe cylindrical portion of the bolt and a groove on the under side of the same receiving that portion of the rectangular or squared. shank of. the bolt which pro- M jects above. the surface of the tie; such clips being movable on such rectangular portion of the bolt diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rail within the limits of the aperture through the clip when being moved into operative engagement with the rail in the adjusted positions of the latter.

After any adjustment'of the rail, the clips y' may7 be anchored to the respective bolts and the 'tie by means of nuts and special washers interposed between thenuts and the clips; the under face of such washers and the upper faces of the clips being serrated and the serrations of the clips matching the serrations of the washer when the two are brought into holding engagement maintaining the clips in vfixed position with respect to the fixed bolts.

The rectangular or squared apertures formed in the top web of the ends of the tie are set in staggered relation as indicated, so that clips disposed on opposite sides of the rail may occupy the pro-per relative position with respect to said rail flanges. The clips, which are arranged to move diagonally with respect `to the rails are provided with a wall portion kparallel to the rail flange, with a lip adjacent thereto to ov-erlie the flange.

These and other features of' my invention are more fully seit forth and described hereinafter; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l, is a` plan view of a metallic tie constructed in accordance with myy invention, showing a series of' rail holding clipsv in place.

Figs. 2 and 3, are cross sectional views of the tie, taken on the lines II-II, and lll-III,y Figl.

Fig. 4, is a diagrammatic View showing arrangements of apertures in the tie.

Fig. 5, is a plan view of one of the railengaging clips on an enlarged scale. y

Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sectional views, on a larer scale, taken o'nthe lines VI-VI and VIIe-VII, Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8, is an inverted perspective view of one of' the improved rail-engaging clips whichI employ', and thev bolt associated therewith.y

Quite a feature of' my present invention is the simplified form of means which I pro- `vide whereby railroad rails may be properly secured to metallic ties. y

In the drawings, Fig.y l shows a metallic tic oiI channel form, yhavinga top web l and side webs 2. Such tie may be made of any suitable form of commercial channel bars. To lighten the tie, and to provide` a ballast receiving pocket through which the ballast may be rproperly tamped, the central portion of the top web of the rail may be removed as indicated aft 3. I may also flare the side webs 2, as vindicated at 2a, in Figs. l and 2, whereby an increased base at the rail supporting portions is provided. The top web at the ends of the tie is provided with bolt apertures Ll, disposed diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of' the tie.

The rails supported by the tie are indicated at. 5, and these rails are secured to the `tie by means of a special form ot clip and retaining bolt therefor, more particularly shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8. The clips made in accordance with my ypresent invention comprise a body portion 6, substantially wedge-shaped in contour, having an elongated aperture 7 therein, while the under side ot the body portion is grooved as indicated at 8, inline with the paralleling walls of said aperture. One external face of the clip, indicated at 9, parallels the walls of the groove S, and these walls lie diagonally with respect to the opposite external face 10 of the clip, which when applied to the tie lies parallel to the iiange of the rail. The upper portion ot the clip extends over this face l0, to provide a lip 10a, overlying the flange of the rail. The upper surface or top of the clip is serrated, as indicated at 1l, and such seri-ations may be at right angles to r the longitudinal axis ot the rail, or at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the aperture 7 formed in the clip.

The bolts 15, employed for the purpose ot securing the clips in place are provided with a large head 15a, which may be ot' the usual rounded type, from which extends a rectangular or squared shank portion 1G, of such length that when disposed in proper position in one oit the apertures 4 of the tie, it projects above the latter to a considerable extent. From this shank portion 1G, which is always 0i' angular contour, rectangular or square, the cylindrical threaded portion of the bolt 17 extends, to which a nut 18 may be applied in the usual manner.

That portion of the squared or rectangular shank l6of the, bolt which projects above the top web oic the ,tie lits the groove` on the under side ot the clip and constitutes an `abutment tor the latter; such clip' being movable on such bolt shank within the limits of the elongated slot or aperture 7, therein, and by reason of the position of the rectanguiar shank otthe bolt in the tie, such movement ot the clip is diagonal with respect to thelongitudinal axis oi' the rail. To hold the clips'in their adjusted position, I employ a special type of washer 19, having a serrated under face 20 which lits the serrations formed in the top of the clip, and

these washers are held in place by the nuts 18. As the bolts occupy a tixed position, the clamping of the washers in place holds the clips in proper position with respect to the rail.

lhen it is necessary to move either one ot the rails laterally to compensate for wear upon the'same, the nuts in engagement with the clip-holding bolts are removed or loosened and the washers are lifted so as to permit movement of the clips with respect to the bolts. It the adjustment is to the right with reference to the rail at the left hand side ot the tie as shown in Fig. l, the clip at the right hand side of the rail flange is moved in the direction of the arrow, a slight distance, as indicated by dotted lines, sutiicient for the desired movement ot the rail, and the latter is also moved in the new position, as indicated by dotted lines. Then this clip may be secured inplace. Then the clip at the lett hand side ot' the rail is moved so that its lip overlies the rail flange in the new position oi?. the latter, and the washer is dropped into place; the serrations on the under side oit the same finding a fresh seat in the serrated top of the clips, the nut is screwed down, and then the rail is held in the desired adjusted position.

As will be understood, any lateral thrust ot' the rail is taken by the rectangular portion ot' the bolt, which extends above the top web ot the tie and ts into the recess or groove in the under side of the clip.

In use, each rail will be held to the tie by a pair ot clips, and by providing a series of rectangular apertures set -in the staggered relation and positionv illustrated, provision is made for a considerable amount of adjustment to the rails.

In F et, l have shown diagrammatically, a series ot apertures, 4 and ta, formed in the top web ot a tie. The apertures t illustrate the position tor one weight ot rail, while the apertures l illustrate the position for another weight ot rail. Theline A` represents the longitudinal axis of the tie and lthe line B, the longitudinal axis of the rail.

I claim: y

l. In combination with a metallic tie having a rectangular aperture formed in its rail-supporting portion, a bolt having a portion to tit said aperture, an adjustable railengaging member loverlying said bolt; the portion o't the latter fitting the rectangular aperture in the tie projecting above the web ot the same and engaging parallel walls formed onthe under side ot saidrail-engaging member and the latter being provided with an elongated aperture whereby it is capable of movement with respect to the rectangular shank of the bolt and in line therewith, and means for confining said railengaging member in various positions with yrespect to said bolt.

2. In combination with a metallic tie having a rectangular aperture formed in its top web or rail-supporting portiongisaid aperture being disposed diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tie, a bolt having a portion to lit said aperture, an adjustable rail-engaging member overlying said bolt; the portion of the latter fitting the rectangular aperture in the tie projecting above the web of the saine and engaging parallel walls formed on the under side of said rail-engaging member and the latter being provided with an elongated aperture whereby it is capable of movement with respect to the rectangular shank of the bolt and in line therewith; such movement being in a line diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the rail and means for confining said rail-engaging member in various adj usted positions with respect to said bolt.

3. In combination with a. metallic tie having a series of rectangular apertures formed in its rail-supporting portion at eachend thereof and disposed in staggered relation, a seiies of bolts each having a rectangular portion to fit said aperture, adjustable railengaging members overlying said bolts; the portion of the latter fitting the rectangular apertures in the tie projecting above the web of the saine and engaging parallel walls formed on the under side of said rail-engaging members and the latter being provided with elongated apertures whereby they are capable of movement with yrespect to the rectangular Shanks of the bolts and in line therewith, and means 'for confining said rail-ci'igaging members in position.

Il. In combination with a metallic tic having a rectangular aperture formed in its rail-supporting portion, a bolt having a portion to fit said aperture, an adjustable railengaging member overlying said bolt; the portion of the latter fitting `the rectangular aperture in the tie projecting above the web of the same and engaging parallel walls formed on the under side of said rail-engaging member and the latter being provided with an elongated aperture whereby it is capable of movement with respect to the rectangular shank of the bolt and in line therewith; said rail-engaging member having a serrated upper surface, and means for confining said rail-engaging member in position including a washer fitting the bolt and having compleinental serrations to engage the serrated surface of the rail-engaging member, and a nut.

In combination with a metallic tie having a rectangular aperture formed in its top web or rail-supporting portion; said aperture being disposed diagonally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tie, a

bolt having a port-ion fitting said aperture,

an adjustable rail-engaging member overlying said bolt; the portion of the latter fitting the rectangular aperture in the tic projecting above ythe web of the saine and engaging parallel walls formed on the under side of said rail-engaging member and thc latter being provided with an elongated aperture whereby it is capable of movement with respect to the rectangular shank of the bolt and in line therewith; said rail-engaging member having a serrated upper surface, and means for confining said rail-engaging member in position including a washer fitting the bolt and having complemental serrations to engage theserrated surface of the rail-engaging member, and a nut.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a railengaging clip capable of adjustment with respect to the rectangular shank of a fixed bolt, comprising a substantially wedge-shaped body having an elongated aperture through which said bolt may pass, agroove on the under side of said body with walls in alignment withr the walls of said shank, an overhanging rail-engaging lip at one side of said body, and a toothed or serrated upper surface for engagement with complemental securing means.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a railengaging clip capable of adjustment with respect to the squared shank of a fixed bolt carried by a tie, comprising a substantially wedge-shaped body having an elongated aperture through which said bolt may pass, a groove on the runder side of said body with walls for engagement with said squared shank in alignment with the walls of said elongated aperture, an overhanging rail-engaging lip at one side of said body, and a toothed or serrated upper surface for engagement with complemental securing 8. As a new article of manufacture, a railengaging clip capable of adjustment with respect to a fixed bolt, comprising a substantially wedge-shaped body having any GEORGE w. WHITEMAN, 

